Serving The Lord With Heart and Seoul: Welcome to Russia

So this last week, Korea has been colder than Russia. Or so that is what the Koreans say. It has been dipping below zero for the past few days, and the whipping wind has been bitter. If I wasn't sure that I was a summer person before, I definitely know that I am a summer person now. I have been wearing two pairs of fur lined leggings, 3 pairs of socks, one shirt and two sweaters plus my coat, a scarf, hat, and two pairs of gloves. Plus my boots, and I carry heat packs with me as well. Sometimes I put them in my gloves, sometimes I put them inside my coat. :) And we still mutter the Korean word for cold under our breath as our fingertips and toes freeze. BUT... I wouldn't feel like a missionary if I didn't still try to talk to people in the freezing cold. Though they may be less inclined to talk to us when it is so cold, at least God is seeing our faith filled actions. :)

So I made it to Icheon! It is definitely the countryside, that is for sure. There are mountains and long roads of nothingness. It feels like a mixture of Utah and Idaho! There are a lot of mountains that you have to drive through. I feel like I am in a racing video game when we drive through them because they are literally lighted tunnels that go right through the mountains. It is pretty legit.

Anyway this area is an adventure. We are over three cities which are an hour apart by bus. And the bus you take to get to each city isn't just a normal bus that comes every ten minutes. It only comes every hour or every two hours. So basically, if we miss the bus that comes at 7:30... well considering we are supposed to be home by 9:00.... lets just say it is a pretty risky game. Quite an adventure. :) I am sure that this area will be beautiful when the cherry blossoms come out though, considering it is so country! :)

Sister Zippro, my new companion, is from Farmington, Utah. She is super cute and so ready to learn every thing she can. I don't know if I will be able to teach her much, but hopefully I can teach her some good things. I am still learning to be a missionary even in my 10th transfer. But I don't think any one really ever masters how to do missionary work. It is different every where you go, and it just means more learning every day. :)

So yesterday was my first day in my new branch. There's only about 30 adult active members, plus their families. Names will be fairly easy to get down, which is a blessing. :) When I gave my "Hello" talk yesterday, I told them where I had served. When I told them that my greenie area was Ansan, a few of them gasped. Apparently like half of this branch lived in Ansan at one point, and some of them were familiar faces. Coincidence? I think not. Actually, I had heard rumors when I lived in Ansan that when one of the bishops of Ansan moved away, he took a lot of the ward with him. Seems as though he moved to Icheon. I found the lost Ansan members! The connection is so interesting.

The members here are so nice, and I am excited to get to know them. I have been praying and praying to know what to do here, and I am not entirely sure yet why I have been sent here. But I have faith that we can see miracles here in Icheon. I haven't seen a baptism yet on my mission, and I really would love to find someone here and whip out that portable baptismal font. With lots of fasting and prayer, along with daily acts of faith, I know that we will see miracles.

Love and miss you all!

Love, Sister Maughan